Jaye Espy specializes in Diversity Partnerships in education — specifically helping students connect, access, and prepare for industry. As Founder and Principal of 353, LLC, her work with diverse corporate, education, and non-profit clients has focused on issues that impact the education ecosystem.

As an experienced strategic thought partner who has worked as an implementation specialist across the education spectrum, Jaye has managed complex projects to improve P16 education systems across the United States. She started Mississippi’s first virtual public school in 2002 through a U.S. Department of Education grant and was also a part of the founding team to launch washingtonpost.com in 1995.

Jaye’s current work covers a wide range of education areas across equity and access, workforce development, and partnership opportunities for schools, teachers, and students at Stride Learning, an online learning service.

Jaye’s portfolio also includes consulting with Codehouse, a non-profit that aims to tackle the diversity gap in technology and Black Tech Ventures, a company that empowers the next generation of black student innovators to become tech entrepreneurs.

Jaye formerly served as chief of staff for the White House Initiatives on HBCUs for the Obama Administration where she led collaborative partnership teams across federal, corporate, and post-secondary institutions to improve opportunities for students and faculty, especially in computer science. She was also a special assistant in the Office of the Deputy Secretary. She also worked with UNCF, College Board, Association Montessori International, Mississippi Department of Education, Accenture, and Deloitte.

Jaye has degrees from Howard University and the University of Mississippi and is extremely active in politics in her home state of Mississippi and as a Maryland resident.